Outdoor grills have gained in popularity in recent years, and grill manufacturers are continually striving to develop an outdoor grill that will safely and efficiently cook meat and other foods while retaining the natural flavor of the food being cooked. For example, gas and electric grills with permanent briquettes have recently begun to replace conventional grills which use combustible charcoal briquettes. However, the permanent briquettes associated with current gas and electric grills have a tendency to collect grease from food being cooked and thereby provide a cooking environment very susceptible to unwanted flaming which can burn and/or dry out meats or other foods being cooked. Furthermore, the burner units associated with conventional gas and electric grills tend to unevenly heat the permanent briquettes and therefore create "hot spots" on the grilling surface resulting in uneven cooking of the food placed thereon and inefficient use of the fuel or heat source utilized therewith. Still another disadvantage associated with conventional grills is the difficulty in cooking large pieces of meat such as turkeys and hams which often require longer cooking times and have a tendency to lose their natural juices during such prolonged cooking periods.
One attempt to divert grease drippings away from direct contact with the flame and to reduce flaming in a gas grill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,647. An inverted conical plate extending across a cylindrical housing and positioned between the gas burner and grill is described which collects grease and drippings in a collecting cup directly above the flame from a burner unit. This particular design, however, creates a substantial fire hazard since the grease collects directly above the flame of the burner and is not diverted out of the housing.
Another grill designed to prevent grease drippings from directly contacting the heat source and the resulting flaming is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,040,651 wherein a cone-shaped partition located above a fire pan in a charcoal grill housing is described. Drippings from food fall into the partition and travel down the walls of the partition into a tubular support which disposes of the grease on the ground through an opening in the bottom of the fire pan. The cooking surface of this grill has a greater diameter than the fire pan and hence does not provide for an even distribution of heat over the cooking surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,867 describes a barbecue grill provided with a pair of Z-shaped plates located beneath a food supporting grate within the grill housing. A grease evacuation system comprising circular depressions and drainage channels is located in the bottom of the housing. Grease drippings from food being cooked falls onto the Z-shaped plates and off of the plates' exterior corners into the grease evacuation system below. Grease drippings are not totally diverted away from the heat source since some drippings can splatter through an opening between the plates and through openings on either end of the plates. Furthermore, the unprotected burner unit tends to dry out food placed on the food supporting grate.
The quest therefore continues for the development of a barbecue grill apparatus which eliminates flaming by completely diverting grease drippings away from direct contact with the heat source while simultaneously conserving energy and preserving the natural juices and flavor of food being cooked.